Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-08-19
THE CORBEAUS.
From the American Cultivator. 7

The frequency with which the Diomed
cross occurs in the pedigrees of the very
fastest turf performers at all gaits is a
made in these columns during the past
few years. If the truth were known and
stated, the name of Diomed would appear
in many of the pedigrees of fast trotters,
where unknown" or "untraced' now
occurs. Every honest, unprejudiced
horseman, familiar with the turf history
of this country, from its earliest period
to the present, will admit that imported
Messenger was one of the greatest foun-
tains of trotting instincts ever found up
on this continent, and that imported
Domed was by far the greatest progeni-
tor of speed that eyer crossed the Allan
tic. The phenomenal speed of many of
the fast trotters of the present is attrib-
uted by some turf writers to the pacing
ancestor to which they trace. The ques-
ton why has not Canada, where so many
of these fast PAGERS originated, surpassed
Kentucky, the home of the thoroughbred,
in producing such trotters as Maud S.
(2.0Sa), Jay-Eye-see (2:l0) and Patron
GID has never been answered. 1t is a
matter of history that nearly all the PAGERS
whose blood lines are found in distin-
gushed turf performers were crossed
with some thoroughbred before their pro-
geny acquired distinction. 1t is also a
fact shown by the pedigrees of the Win
ners that the Diomed cross occurs more
frequently in connection with the pacing
cross than that of any other thoroughbred
imported, Messenger not excepted. The
Corbeau trotting family is an excellent
illustration of this point, and as quite a
number of its representatives are found
in the North, the following sketch of
some of its noted members, as given by
Cyrus Lukens in the Spirit of the Times
some four years ago. will be of interest
to our readers
"Probably no speedy pacing and trot-
ting family of horses in the State of Ken
lucky has received so little notice, relative
to its origin and history, as that descend
ed from Corbeau, the Canadian.
Mr.. c. b. Jetlries of Lexington, Mr.
George b. EXall of Bowling Green, Mr..
Robert NJ. Lewis and Mr.. William Neach
of Daviess county, all in the State of
Kentucky, have each one been very kind
in answering many letters that | have
] 81 -,
Patent right stud-booll compilers are
as much at sea as the public because the
information has not been hunted up by
some one and given to them gratutously
1.-The founder of the Corbeau family in
kentucky was a black stallion, under
fifteen hands in height, known as Leach,
Corbeau lie was brought from one OF
the Canadian Provinces, and was stood
for service at Keller House, ten mile,
from Louisville, by NJ. Leach, about 1913
He had good head and neck with re
markedly fine shoulders, but was very
narrow over the loins and down the rump
Bay COrbeau was sired by Leach;
Corbeau, and WAS foaled in 1872, Hi,
dam Owned by Capt. Hannah of Frank
fort, KY was by Frank, the inbred
grandson of Sir Arehy. Frank was sol
of Sir Charles" (This Sir Charles was
by Sir Archy, and was the sire of Havoc
which got the dam of Pilot Jr.-Ed.)
when six years old, Bay Corbeau wa;
purchased by Simeon B. Lewis, who stooG
him at William ThuXton's on Bardstowr
road, sixteen miles from Louisville, and
at Mt. Washington, in Bullitt county
twenty miles from Louisville. William
Ambrose had charge of him at Bardstown
Nelson Co., in 1852 During this year
James II. Lewis purchased him, and sold
him in the spring of 1850 to X. f. Cole
man of Harrodsburg, where he stood for
service that year and 1861. In 1862 James
ii. Lewis repurchased Bay Corbeau and
farmed him to Robert NJ. Lewis, who
stood him during the years of 1862 and
1868, and up to July 1, 1864, at Rose Hill
Stock Farm, near Greensboro, Davies
Co., Ky.
"Mr. Lewis says: Bay Corbeau's sea.
son of 1864 terminated on July 4, as he
was taken from my stable that day by d
squad of soldiers under Capt. Prangee
They foundered him so badly that they
left him in few days, when | went after
him and returned with him to his home
r. NJ. Lewis sold him in 1865 TO Samuel
Harrison of Davess county, who stood
him for service during 1865 and 1866, wher
Mr.. II. sold him to r. NJ. Lewis. He now
sold the horse to Mr.. Coleman, who
owned him during 1867 and to July, 1868
when h. NJ. Lewis repurchased him, ant
sold him to Simeon b. Lewis and Others
for 5000. They kept him until the fal
of 1873, when they returned him to r
NJ. Lewis, who kept him during 1874 anC
1875. He died April, 1876. The follow
ing are two of the produce of Bay Cor
beau: